Dear Lifehacker,
I've heard that antibacterial soap is bad for you, or at least that I should stop using them. I always thought antibacterial must be good, but now people are saying they're a waste of money and could be bad for me. What am I missing? Should I stop using them?

Sincerely,
No Germophobe, Just Curious

Dear No Germophobe,
It's true, antibacterial soaps, cleaners, and other products are everywhere, and by their name alone you might think "oh, it's antibacterial, so it must be good." Well, the truth isn't quite so simple, and to get to the bottom of it, we need to first take a look at germs and what they do (or don't do) for us, then check out some of the current science around antibacterial products in general and how effective they are.

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We're not here to settle the debate once and for all, but there is a growing consensus that you might want to be aware of the next time you open your wallet, consider your own health, or consider the environment. Let's take a look.

Don't Be Too Afraid of Germs in the First Place

Germs make you sick, right? Absolutely—many germs, or bacteria and viruses and other microbial organisms, can cause infection and sickness in humans. Many others, however, don't. Without getting into a longer discourse about the incredible microscopic flora and fauna that live with, on, and inside of our bodies and work diligently to keep us healthy and well, we can safely say that if your fear when you hear "germs" is that they'll all make you sick and need to be eliminated to as great a degree as possible, you're actually doing yourself a disservice.

In short, by perhaps the most effective thing our current crop of antibacterial products are effective at is creating resistant bacteria. It's a bit of a stretch, but not terribly far when you consider the wide range of products in which they're applied when they don't need to be. That said, when you wipe down a countertop with an cleaning wipe that's antibacterial, you're definitely sanitizing it. When you clean the toilet with antibacterial cleaner, it's doing its job. There are definitely places where antibacterial cleaners are necessary—the toilet is probably a good one, but embedded in your cookware, or the literally thousands of other products in which it's used, may be a stretch.

Antibacterials Come with Their Own Health and Environmental Concerns

If the possibility that antibacterial products are less effective than advertised and may actually be helping develop resistant bacteria (that will pose an even greater health risk) isn't enough to make you reconsider, here are two more. Remember earlier, when we mentioned that children with high levels of triclosan in their system were shown to be at higher risk of allergies of all types? The issue may be even deeper than just allergies. Preliminary research (and we do mean preliminary, so take this with a grain of salt) indicates that common antibacterials may be endocrine disruptors (which interfere with the normal function of the Thyroid, an organ that controls several important functions), and there's some data to indicate triclosan can interfere with the skeletal and muscular systems as well, as the Smithsonian reports. Granted, all of this research is early, but the FDA has expressed its concern, and their effects would be farther-reaching than the allergy implications we've already seen.

Second, it turns out that the compounds used in most antibacterial products (again, triclosan being a primary culprit) may be harmful to the environment. Given that it's easily absorbed through the skin and detected in humans (blood, urine, breast milk, it's fat-soluble, so it builds up easily in human tissue), it perseveres pretty well in the environment and doesn't break down too quickly. Mind the Science Gap goes into great detail about this. The journal Aquatic Toxicology notes that even small quantities persist in water treatment plants, and the USGS has found it often in surveys of streams and lakes. The same study in Aquatic Toxicology also notes that once present, it can disrupt algae's ability to perform photosynthesis, which can spell big trouble for the food chain. Similarly, because it's fat soluble, it can build up in other animals the same way it does in humans—something some researchers have already seen in dolphins. We can't say we've seen a rise in dolphins with allergies though, and the other health issues require more research, but it is worth noting that an antibacterial agent that is of limited efficacy in many of its applications is persistent in the environment and growing in quantity.

The Bottom Line: What Should You Do?

At the end of the day, antibacterial products have their place—just perhaps not in the soap you wash your hands with, or your shampoo, or your body lotion, or your socks or clothing items. Most researchers point out that you can save money by buying traditional versions of antibacterial products, and you won't lose anything (or put yourself at any health risk) in the process. Wash your hands with regular soap, and opt-out of needlessly "antibacterial" products. In places where sanitation is necessary and alternatives can't be used, antibacterial cleaners can be useful.

The Smithsonian suggests using a non-antibiotic hand sanitizer instead if you're concerned, since they rely on alcohol and not antibacterial agents to clean your hands (hand sanitizer, by the way does not contribute to microbial resistance) and get the job done just as well. In hospitals and environments where sterility and sanitation are critical, antibacterials are necessary (and even then, generally controlled.) For the rest of us, common cleaners like bleach work wonders at sanitizing surfaces, and for our bodies and clothing, soap and water are—as they always have been—your best friend.